


Eridanus

by AmoElit



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Astronomy, College, F/M, Modern, Slow Burn, Stargazing, modern arcana
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-07
Updated: 2019-01-07
Packaged: 2019-10-05 21:47:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17332934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmoElit/pseuds/AmoElit
Summary: Group projects. Everyone's least favourite thing right? And what could possibly be worse than being partnered with the rich kid who doesn't even need this degree?! Elit can't believe her bad luck, and already can't wait to be done with this project.





	1. Chapter 1

The first weeks of class signify the end of summer for young people the world over. This was my first week at university, and I was insanely excited to have been accepted into the astronomy programme. It had been my passion since I was little, and I was already in love with it, two days in. I had just finished in classes for the day, and was heading back to my dorm. It was early evening, around six, and the sky was a beautiful rosy colour, the sun spilling golden light over the campus, filtering through the ancient oak trees that lined the path. 

"Elit!" 

I turned to see Gianna, my next door neighbour in the dorm, jogging up behind me. Gianna was the athletic type, tall and slim with a permanent sleek black ponytail. Her laid back attitude made her easy to talk to and we had quickly become friends. 

"Elit, hey!" She was barely panting, but her flushed cheeks suggested she had been for quite the run. "Are you heading back to the Arl?" 

The Arl was a nickname given by us to our dorm building, too lazy to pronounce its full name, Arlington. It was a pretty big building, with beautiful Art Deco style features. 

"Yeah! I just finished class. Where've you been?" 

"God, I don't know how you do it, El. You're in class _all day!_  Oh, I've just been for a quick run, down the main road, round the lake, through the trees, past the main lecture building and the library, and now here I am!" 

"That must be miles! It'd take me _hours_ to even walk that, I couldn't run all that way." 

"Different skills, Ellie, different skills." Gianna grinned at me. She was really one for shortening names. 

She had slowed to match my brisk walking pace, and was chatting happily about a cute guy she'd met in one of her classes. Gianna seemed to meet people at an extraordinary rate, and she had already established different circles of friends for different things - a group for partying with, a group for studying with, a group for working out with. I, on the other hand, was far too shy for such socialising, preferring to rest in my room at the end of the day. Spending time with people is exhausting, I find. Gianna tends to be the exception to this so far. While she, too, is exhausting, she is perfectly happy to talk away while I just sit and listen. 

Before long, we had rounded the final corner between the north end of the main campus building and Arlington. In the corner closest to the road, the Arl has its dining room, which is where Gianna and I entered, looking forward to some dinner. The food was average at best, but it was sustenance, and at this point in the day, that's all I really hoped for. The dining room was busy still, the general clamour near deafening with the exuberant conversations of probably close to four hundred students. Gianna and I grabbed our shares of baked pasta and salad, mine noticeably more of the pasta element, and slid onto the end of a table. 

"So. El. Have _you_ met anyone worth looking twice at yet?" She asked with a sly smirk. 

I rolled my eyes at her, shaking my head. 

"Gianna, for goodness' sake. I've barely looked at anything but the board in class, our lecturers have so much to tell us in only two hour slots!" 

"Aw, c'mon, surely you've gazed around the room at least once in your millions of hours of class you've had already." 

"Nope. I promise you. You'll be the first to know if and when that happens though." I promised, through a mouthful of cheesy pasta. 

"Hey, anyway, there's this huge party supposed to be happening this Friday, you should totally come!" 

I just cocked my head at her, and gave her a withering look. 

"Gi. Do I _look_ like a party person?"

"Well, you could be! You can even borrow a dress from me if you want!" 

"You. Are. Tiny!" I whined. My soft, hourglass shape would never fit into her petite, tight fitting clothes. 

"Whatever. Oh, please come! It would be _so_ cool!!" 

Once again, I rolled my eyes. She seemed to take this as acceptance, and carried on with her salad. 

After climbing three flights of dramatic, plush carpeted staircases, Gianna and I were back at our dorms. I escaped under the pretence of studying, to which she had looked at me incredulously before shrugging and heading for the shower. Safely in my room, away from everyone and all the noise of living with so many other excited young people, I flopped onto my tiny single bed and sighed. I had thought university was going to be full of people like me, quiet and studious and in constant pursuit of new information. As it turned out, it seemed to be a nest of eighteen year olds discovering their new freedoms with regard to alcohol, drugs, and sex. None of which particularly interested me. I couldn't help, though, thinking about this party Gianna had mentioned. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Perhaps I should at least attend one party, just to say I have. Besides, that way I might be able to get away with never going to another one. Ever again. I sat up and reached across the tiny floor space to fling open my wardrobe. All I seemed to own were jeans, sweatshirts, and a few tees. Rummaging through the clothes, so neatly hung only a couple of days earlier, I happened upon a black, chiffon-like skater dress. That might do! I stripped off quickly, suddenly excited, and slipped on the dress. Okay, so it was pretty short, but wasn't that the point? I scowled at my reflection in the full-length mirror hung on the back of the door, poking a little too hard at the squish of my stomach, and pinching my cellulite-dimpled thighs. I wriggled out of the dress, leaving it crumpled on the floor, and resolved to attend the party, even if just to satisfy Gianna.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

Friday afternoon rolled around a whole lot faster than I had anticipated. I finished classes a little earlier on a Friday, so by late afternoon I was back at the Arl, sat on Gianna's bed, watching her try on outfit after outfit. She looked stunning in all of them, but none seemed to catch her fancy. She searched through the ever-growing heap of clothes on the floor, wearing only her underwear, not particularly bothered if I saw her like that. I wish I had her confidence. And her body. I definitely wished I looked like her. She looked up, hands on hips, and demanded of me which outfit I thought she should wear. I protested that I was hopeless at these things, but she took no notice, holding up two dresses. One looked short, tight and black, the other short, tight and red. I pointed at the red one.

"Yes! You're right! That's perfect. And I'll wear those gold heels, and really dramatic eyeliner, and a nude lipstick..." She carried on, more to herself than to me, as she searched through her belongings for the items she had mentioned. 

"So...where exactly are we going, anyway?" I enquired. 

"Oh my gosh, did I not tell you? It's this really rich guy's house, not far from here. It's meant to be huge!" 

"Do his parents know?" 

"Do they care? Supposedly, they've been letting him have these parties ever since he turned sixteen. Sixteen! I can't wait to get there. I hope we meet him. I'll bet he's cute! Ah-ha!" 

Gianna held up the lipstick she'd been looking for triumphantly. 

"Gi...it's only four o'clock...why are you getting ready now?" 

"Oh, I'm not. I'm getting pre-ready!" 

"And what on Earth does that mean?"

"It means, I get everything out that I'm gonna need. See, I have to shower and shave my legs, and straighten my hair and that alone is quite the task. Then I have to do my makeup which is at least an hour's work. You see?" 

I nodded slowly, wondering if I was expected to do the same. My wavy, strawberry blonde hair had never seen a straightener, and it had definitely been at least a few days since I'd shaved. And I had absolutely no idea what to do with makeup. As I had been thinking about this, Gianna had slipped off her underwear and grabbed a huge white towel. 

"Right!" She said brightly. "I'm going in the shower, you're welcome to stay here if you want." 

I did just that, not bothering to move. I lay back against her pillows, pulling out my phone. Deciding I needed some inspiration, I took to Instagram to look at other girls' photos from their nights out. I scrolled for a while through various friends, hashtags and celebrities, but gained no particular insight. They were all so skinny! Instead, I flicked over to YouTube to watch a couple of makeup tutorials. For beginners, I specified in the search box. 

Around half an hour later, Gianna splashed into the room. It must really take some effort, this getting ready to go out business. 

"Oh Elit, you're still here! Great, you can help me do up this dress. The zip is such a bitch." 

She shimmied into the dress, not bothering with a bra, and wearing silky red underwear that near disappeared when she'd put them on. Turning around expectantly, I realised this was my cue to zip up the back. I did so with ease, and she turned around smiling. She was stunning. 

"You're an angel! Thanks!" 

Almost immediately, she had turned back around to sit at her desk, makeup soon strewn all over the desktop. I watched her for a while, then slid off the bed. 

"I guess...I guess I should get ready too, right?" 

"Oh, sure! If you need help, just come on in, kay?" 

"Yeah." 

I went back to my own room, still fretting about how I would look. People would know instantly how awkward I was, just by looking at me. Nobody would give me a second glance, that was for sure. 

Around seven, there was a knock on my door, and Gianna popped her head in. 

"Elit are you nearly-oh! You look great!!" She beamed at me, and I was surprised to find myself believing her. Gi's compliments always felt genuine. 

\---

Apparently, "not far away" mean a twenty minute ride in an Uber. Gianna and I split the fare, and stepped out of the 2007 Prius, looking up at the massive house before us. Decorative wrought iron gates were opened wide, and already I could see people milling about on the horseshoe driveway. Gianna grabbed my hand, and strutted forth into the melee, smiling suggestively at almost every boy we passed. She ushered me directly into the heart of the house, the enormous kitchen, the kind I've only ever seen on Pinterest. 

I was unsurprised to find that Gianna was the object of many peoples' affections. She was very quickly surrounded by a group of people, and she smiled and flirted with them all. I was, however, surprised to be chatted to by a tall boy with short brown hair that stuck up in a quiff. He seemed to have been here a while, and I smelled the liquor on his breath. We had a fairly shallow conversation, but that was fine for now. He asked easy questions - how old I was, what I studied, what I thought of university so far. But this pleasant small talk ended abruptly as he tried to snake a hand up my dress. I yelped and shoved him away, causing Gianna to look over in concern, but by the time she called out to me, I had already flounced out through a side door, leading to a garden patio with a fountain. 

The air smelled odd here, earthy and burnt. Clouds of smoke billowed from a group of guys standing by the fountain, and I realised what they were up to. Not wanting to get caught up in it, I turned to go. 

"Hey!" A breathy voice called out. "Wait!"


	3. Chapter 3

I looked back around at the boys. There were five or six, gathered in a cluster, but one had stepped away from the group. He wore ripped black jeans and a smirk, a self-rolled cigarette dangling from between his fingers. 

"Hey." He said again, softer this time. 

He took a tentative step towards me, and I realised I probably looked like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming vehicle. 

"Are you okay?" 

"I uh-yeah! Fine. Just came out for some air, that's all. But I'm fine now, so I'll just be going." 

He laughed, running a hand through snow-white hair that flopped over his forehead in loose curls. 

"Don't you wanna stay a while? We're just having a little fun. And it is my house, after all. As your host, I'd love for you to join us." 

I gaped at him, eyes wide. 

"Your house?"

"Well, my parents'." He chuckled. "But yeah, I live here. Asra, by the way. And you are...?" 

"Um, Elit. My name's Elit. And thank you, but I really shouldn't." 

"Won't you at least join us for a little drink?" 

He looked at me so intensely, I could hardly bear to say no. His eyes were a clear, deep violet, and his gaze made me feel like he saw straight through me. I felt myself nodding.

"Awesome!" 

I perched awkwardly on the edge of the fountain, too shy to stand and fully join them. Asra stepped back a little, to a small bar fridge he'd previously been stood in front of. He looked through the glass, assessing what was available. 

"You seem like a classy lady, something bubbly, perhaps?" He mused. 

I didn't want to seem lame and admit to never having a drink before, so I said nothing. 

"Or...or we have beer, but that doesn't seem your thing. Or these little fruit cocktail thingies. Girls like those I think. There's loads of wine. What do you usually drink?" 

"Uh...fizzy things." I said. I meant soft drinks, but he took it to mean actual champagne. 

He picked out a bottle with an orange label and a French name I couldn't even hope o pronounce, and flicked the cork, sending it flying across the garden. 

"You're not supposed to open it that way," he said. "But it's way more fun." 

He poured a glass, offering it to me before pouring his own. I took a tiny sip. It tasted like liquid sunshine, the bubbles exploding in my mouth leaving barely any drink. It felt like I was drinking dry bubbles. I didn't mind though. It wasn't long before I'd finished that glass, and I had been poured another. And another. And another. And soon, I couldn't feel my lips and struggled to see straight. I felt a sudden urge to use the bathroom, and stood, swaying in place. 

"Whoa, there. You all good?" One of the boys asked. 

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine I just-where's the bathroom?" 

I was directed up a flight of stairs, along the landing and to the right, and found myself in a bathroom decorated with white marble and gleaming yellow gold. As I was washing my hands, I stared at myself, bleary eyed, in the huge mirror. Was this what being drunk felt like? I assumed so, and wasn't sure if I liked it or not. What I was sure of was that this Asra guy seemed nice and, I didn't want to tempt fate, but seemed like he could be into me. I needed to find Gianna. 

I tottered down the stairs, scanning the room for Gianna. There were so many people here now that the kitchen looked like the standing area of a sold out concert. She must have seen me, because she hurried up to the foot of the stairs to meet me, which was fortunate as I stumbled into her on the last step. 

"Elit, oh my God! Are you...are you drunk?!" 

"I think so!" I grinned. "And listen. I met the guy that lives here. He's sooooo nice, and I think he might like me." 

"Well, then don't look now, come with me." 

Gianna tried to steer me away from the doorway to the patio, but it was too late. The alcohol clouded my judgement, and my curiosity got the better of me. I strained to look outside, only to spy that fluffy white hair bobbing up and down, another girl's fingers tangled up in it as they kissed passionately. Not usually one to express emotions, especially not about boys, I was surprised to find myself gasping back a sob as hot tears threatened to trace watery black eyeliner down my cheeks. 

"I think we'd better go. I'll order an Uber." Gianna wrapped an arm gently around my shoulders, guiding me outside to the driveway. 

I sat in the back of the car crying and crying. I had only spoken to Asra for a couple of hours, probably three at the most, but he'd made me feel so special, so wanted. And Gianna had been right, he was pretty cute. The walk up to Arlington passed in a blur, and before I knew it, Gianna had me tucked in bed. 

"Now, don't you be up thinking about him, okay? You just go to sleep now, and we'll talk in the morning. Text me if you need me, I'm right next door, remember." 

She flicked the light switch, and I lay in the darkness, feeling rather numb. How could I have been so naive? Someone like that wouldn't be interested in someone like me. He was just being a good host. Of course he was. At least I wouldn't ever have to see him again. That was my one consolation in my embarrassment - the fact that we would never cross paths ever again. With that somewhat comforting thought in mind, I relaxed and fell quickly into a deep sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

The following Monday, I sat in class, furiously scribbling down notes, while also thinking about what Gianna had said. Every chance I got, I looked around to check out any potential people to chat to. Unfortunately, I couldn't really get much of a clear view - everyone else had their heads down writing notes as frantically as I had been. At long last, the two hour lecture was over, and I had about a ten minute reprieve as I cleared away my things into my backpack and made the short walk to a workshop class. I enjoyed these, they were smaller, more hands on classes. We were getting assigned a project today, and I was keen to find out what it was.

I dumped my bag at a desk in the new room, a few minutes early as always. I was a fast walker. I took this time to eye a boy sat across the room. He had sandy blond hair that stuck up a little in the front in a cowlick, and wide, square shoulders. I was sat near the front, and was vaguely aware of the class filling up behind me. The door banged shut, and our tutor, Professor Lutz, strode up to the front, greeting us as he walked. He didn't entirely fit the mental image one conjures up when imagining an astronomy professor. His hair was bright ginger and wiry, and he had a huge moustache. He was of a rather unusual, but athletic physique, big and burly top half, and a slim waist and legs. He dressed exclusively in bright blue activewear, with shorts that displayed an uncomfortable amount of pasty white leg.

"Class! Good afternoon! Yes, yes, settle down now. Right." He rubbed his hands together and looked around at the class. "As you know, every second week, you'll have assignments due. Now, these will be done in pairs. No, no, don't look to your buddies. I'll be randomly assigning the pairs. I guess you'll all want to know what you have to do, right?"

He looked to us for approval or acknowledgement, and after receiving a few uncertain nods, continued, pacing back and forth at the front of the room.

"You will be given a series of problem questions. Some will require a small essay type answer, some are more calculation based. You will need to refer to Zeilik and Gregory, at Chapter 18, for these questions. Okay, any questions?"

Nobody answered, and he was forced to look into a sea of blank stares.

"Alrighty then! I'll call out your names in pairs, when you hear yours, go find your partner. You may as well get to know them a bit, since I'm fairly convinced you won't start this project."

I sat fiddling with my pen as he listed off people's names, only half listening for my own. The class was bigger than I had realised at first, I thought, as I heard him continue through a seemingly never-ending roll call.

"...and Elit. Yes, yes, she's up here."

My head jerked up. Who on Earth had I been partnered with? I looked to the aisle where my partner was walking up to meet me, and my heart sank.

It was him.


	5. Chapter 5

"Hello, I believe we've met before." 

The lean boy sat beside me, dropping his faded red backpack at his feet. He was still wearing those black skinny jeans, but these were paired with a tight fitting blue t-shirt. Up his arm I noticed a tattoo that had been covered by his shirt sleeves on Friday. A purple snake wound around his forearm. It was beautifully coloured. His voice was breathy and soothing, and he carried the pleasant, cut-glass manner of someone privately, and expensively, educated. 

I was torn for a moment, unsure how to answer. I could deny everything, and say I had no idea what he was talking about. Or I could agree, and risk bringing up discussion of that night. No matter how I answered, though, I couldn't deny that I was touched he had remembered me at all. 

"Yeah," I answered with a quick smile. "Your party on Friday." 

"Did you have a good time?" His dimpled smile had me blushing, and I looked down before he could see. 

"I, uh, yeah. Of course." 

"Parties not your thing?" He asked, picking up my unsure tone.

"Not so much." I admitted.

"Fair enough. I confess, they never used to be something I enjoyed. It's just sort of expected, you know?" 

I just nodded. I didn't know, of course. We came from totally different worlds. Professor Lutz dropped a couple of stapled pieces of paper on the desk, and I looked over it. 

"Supernova explosions!" I exclaimed, reading the first question. "I love reading about these." 

I wasn't entirely sure if I'd been talking to Asra or not, but was somewhat disappointed to not get a response. He was leaning back in his chair, talking to the two guys behind us. Already I got the feeling he wasn't going to be much help on this assignment. How could he be in my class? Of all the subjects one could possibly study, he just had to be on the same astronomy and astrophysics course as me. He probably didn't even need this degree. I'd heard his father was the CEO of an airline company, although it seemed fairly hush-hush as to which. And yet, here he was, casually chatting with some other people, about God knows what. Sure, he was polite enough, but that was only down to how he'd been brought up. No matter how it seemed, I knew he wasn't being nice to be my friend. 

Not knowing what else to do, I pulled out a highlighter and started going through the questions. This didn't take me overly long, and soon I was sat with nothing to do. I pulled out my phone, and scrolled mindlessly through Twitter. Professor Lutz announced that we were out of time, and we were free to go. Asra got up and left with the two guys he'd been talking to, without so much as a goodbye. I watched him leave. He was clearly going home, as the keychain for an Aston Martin dangled from his fingers. 

I had an hour-long break for lunch until my next class, and I used this to head back to Arlington and catch up with Gianna over whatever awful mess the dining room was serving today. She grabbed a black coffee and came straight over to me, keen to chat as always. 

"El, honey, how was class?" 

"Well, I'm not done yet. I've got four more hours after this." I rolled my eyes. Already the heavy workload and long hours in classes were taking a toll. "And you will never guess what happened." 

"Ooh tell me!" 

"We've got to do this assignment thing in pairs, right, so that already sucks, but I couldn't have been given a worse partner! I got Asra, yeah you know, that super rich kid." 

Her face was a picture. She just stared at me for a moment, unsure whether I was kidding or not. 

"No way?!" 

"Yeah. I'm being serious. And he basically ignored me the whole time. I don't think I could've had worse luck to be honest." 

"At least he's cute." Gianna shrugged, thus ending that discussion.

\--

The next day, I checked my student email to find a message from Asra, requesting we meet to make a start on our assignment. I tapped out a reply, and then deleted it, not wanting to sound too formal, but also not wanting him to get the impression that we were friends. After several more attempts, I clicked 'send'. I had suggested we meet either that afternoon, or the following day, to get started as soon as possible. I had barely sent the email when my laptop dinged, informing me I had a new message. He had replied at record speed, saying today was good, and that he had a room in the library he liked to use. He also had attached his phone number, explaining that he preferred not to use email. I texted him to confirm that I'd meet him there in an hour, and sat back to enjoy a twenty minute episode of this show on Netflix. 

One episode became two, and it was halfway through the third that I realised the time. Fortunately, the library was only a five minute walk away, located more or less directly beside the Arl. I threw my belongings into my backpack, cursing my messy ways as I scrabbled about trying to find everything I needed, and half-jogged out the door. I'd say I ran, but that would absolutely be a lie. I didn't want to appear too desperate. 

Inside the library, the upper floors were a maze. Of course, Asra's room of choice was on the second to top floor, so I had to climb a tonne of stairs first. None of the numbering of the rooms seemed to make sense, jumping randomly between thirties and seventies and everything in between. A faint blue glow under the door indicated the room I needed to be in, and, curious, I made a beeline for it, checking the time as I walked. Only nine minutes late.


	6. Chapter 6

I stood outside the door for a moment, catching my breath and composing myself, before heading inside. I saw Asra at a desk, hurriedly putting the lid back on a drink bottle, a few spots of water dripping from his fingers. It also occurred to me that there was no blue lamp or anything in here that would have caused the glow. I looked around, perhaps having missed something, but he spoke, interrupting my thoughts. 

"Elit! Hi! How are you?" He seemed slightly flustered, but his sparkling smile shook away any such inklings. 

"Fine. Thanks." I said curtly. 

An awkward pause ensued, and both of us looked down. 

"I, uh, brought the papers. Do you wanna look over them?" I pulled the hastily packed pieces of paper out of my backpack, trying to smooth out the crumples. 

"Why don't we get to know each other a bit?" He suggested, sinking into an armchair covered in worn, avocado green velvet. 

I sat on the edge of the other chair, hands folded in my lap, and looked at him. 

"Why would you care about knowing me?" 

"Is that some kind of challenge?" He asked with a shrug. 

I rolled my eyes and, realising he was serious, sat back a little. 

"Okay, what do you want to know?" 

"Anything you want to share! How old are you? Where are you from? That kind of thing." 

"I'm eighteen and I'm from a small fishing village miles away. You won't have heard of it." 

He shifted in his seat. I'm sure he sensed something was up, I knew I was being noticeably cold towards him. But I just couldn't risk getting invested in him and having him break my heart. It had hurt enough seeing him with another girl at that party, and that had only been after a matter of hours. I didn't want to imagine what that would be like after any longer.

"Uh, maybe we should look at those problems after all." He said. 

"Yeah. Sure. Of course." 

I reached over to the table and grabbed the papers. They were open on the page of calculations that had to be done. I'd worked through the first one, but it had taken me ages to complete. And besides, he was supposed to be helping anyway. 

"Oh, these are easy!" He exclaimed, after taking a quick look at the page. 

I looked at him curiously. Was that a bluff? 

"No, no, look!" He pointed at the second question, the one after mine. "This is just logarithms and integers, if you make it really basic. See? You can simplify it like...this!" 

He had taken a black and gold fountain pen and scribbled a simplified equation. Sure enough, it did seem a lot easier to look at it that way. I couldn't help but feel somewhat surprised that he knew this kind of thing, although he had got into the course just as I had, and it was a notoriously difficult entrance exam. 

"See what I mean?" He was saying. 

I didn't see at all - I hadn't been listening to a word he'd been saying. I made a fairly non-committal sound and he looked up. Our eyes met, and he held my gaze. His eyes were such a stunning shade of violet, tiny flecks of gold and lighter purple surrounding his dilated pupil. 

"Elit, I-" He looked away quickly. 

"Yes?"

"Nothing. Nothing." 

My cheeks burned with the hot pink flush I knew would be visible to anyone a mile away. I watched his hand move across the paper as he solved the equation he had simplified. It was thin, with long, bony fingers, and prominent veins that pushed up the skin on the back of his hand. He held the pen so delicately, putting virtually no pressure on the page. I forced myself to look away. I've always found hands to be rather attractive, and I really didn't want to be finding him any more attractive than absolutely necessary. Unfortunately, I couldn't exactly avoid him, and his easy, dimpled smile was enough to make my heart melt in an instant, no matter how hard I tried to pretend otherwise. 

He finished that equation and got up from his chair, wandering over to the window and gazing out. It was sunny outside, with few clouds, and there was a light breeze rustling through the trees. It was a beautiful day. A beautiful day to be stuck inside, I thought bitterly. He turned back around and looked thoughtful for a moment. 

"I actually don't think I'll have time to do much on this for the next few days, do you think you could pick up a few questions?" 

I sighed softly. What in the world were his other commitments? We took all the same classes and didn't have that much homework. I guessed he must just have different priorities, such as smoking and partying. And girls. 

"Yeah, sure." I accepted. 

"Thanks, you're wonderful!" He grabbed my hand and dipped into an odd bow. 

"Hey, can I ask something? What was that blue light before I came in?" 

A subtle blush coloured his cheeks and the tips of his ears. He looked away and rubbed at the back of his neck. 

"Oh, you saw that huh? It was, uh, I guess it was just, um, ah, the sun. Yeah, the sun! Coming in at a...weird angle. Or something." 

It certainly sounded like a lie to me, especially given that he seemed to know exactly what I was talking about. Still, I decided that if he'd wanted to disclose, he would have, and I let the matter drop with a shrug. 

"I think I'd better go." He said. "You'll take care of those next few questions, right? We can meet again some other time. Text me, okay?" 

I just nodded, and watched as he scooped up his bag and left with a quick wave, letting the door click shut softly behind him. Alone, I stared out of the window, thinking. He was such an odd boy. He seemed so nice, but it all felt like an act. I couldn't decide if he actually liked me or not, and not even in a romantic way. Just in a platonic, friendly manner. It probably didn't help that I was trying so hard to be detached and not get invested. With another sigh, I got up and grabbed my things, heading back to my room to start on these equations.


	7. Chapter 7

The remainder of the week passed without much to report. On Friday afternoon, I decided I ought to reach out to Asra and catch up over this assignment. It was due next Wednesday, and I wanted to get a good grade for it. I sent him a short text, and again, he replied almost instantly. He invited me round to his house on Saturday morning, saying he liked to work at home, and that his house was plenty big enough to work undisturbed. After a moment's hesitation, I agreed to this plan, wary that if I didn't, I might just end up finishing the assignment alone. 

I told Gianna this, and she nearly burst with excitement. 

"You're what?! Going to his house?!" 

"Yeah," I shrugged.

"Oh my God, that's gonna be so cool!! I mean, it was cool for a party, but, like, imagine it. Just in the day time. The place is enormous, and so luxy. You are so lucky."

I lamented to her about how distracted he seemed during our first meeting. She suggested that maybe he was shy. I shook my head, saying he seemed strange, like something was up. He hadn't been so awkward at his party. 

"Anyway," Gianna said. "What are you going to wear? This is important, you know. Make him fall for you, think you're hot, whatever." 

"What if I don't want him to fall for me?" I laughed.

"Oh, come on, El! What more could you want? He's cute, rich, dresses well, throws good parties..." 

"You have him then!" 

She giggled and playfully shoved me. Asra definitely seemed more her type than mine. Although, I wasn't exactly sure what my type was. I'd never really thought of many guys like that before, and I was positive none of them gave me butterflies in my stomach when they smiled like he did. Actually, forget butterflies. They were more like angry wasps, throwing themselves every which way trying to escape. He was so attractive it made me feel ridiculously giddy, even physically sick. Why him, of all people? The popular, flirty guy would never fall for someone like me, and it was crazy of me to even imagine I had a chance. 

"Oh, Elit, I meant to ask. D'you wanna go for a walk with me tomorrow morning? Sophie's sick and can't go." 

Sophie was another of Gianna's sporty friends. I knew they would usually jog, if not run, around the campus, but Gianna would play it off as a walk for my sake. 

"Sure," I said, knowing I'd probably regret it in the morning.

\--

I was right, I did regret it. I woke up early, and the sky was still grey, traces of the night before still trailing behind. I dressed in sweatpants and a loose top, the closest thing I had to activewear. As I pulled on a hoodie to stave off the chill of the morning, Gianna knocked lightly on my door. 

"G'morning." I mumbled, rubbing at my eyes. 

We headed out into the light mist, Gianna setting a brisk but comfortable pace. For the most part, we walked in silence. Gianna had been more organised, and had one earbud playing whatever wild European rap she was into at the moment, the other dangling loose, bumping off her torso with each step. I just let my mind wander. I hated that, lately, it always wanted to think about that damned smile, teeth straight and white, cheeks dimpled, eyes crinkled and upturned in the corners. 

As we returned to Arlington, I realised I hadn't taken my phone with me. Annoyed, I thought about how my step counter wouldn't be able to register any of the almost hour-long round trip we made walking all the way around the campus. Then I wondered where it actually was. As we were in the dining room, unenthusiastically shovelling cornflakes into our mouths, I couldn't exactly look for it right now. Gianna took a long sip of her coffee and looked up. 

"You're going to Asra's today, huh? How are you gonna get there?" 

I hadn't thought about that. Why couldn't he just live on campus like the rest of us? Because, of course, his family was insanely wealthy. 

"I'll just order an Uber, I guess." 

"Mmkay." Gianna accepted through a mouthful of cereal. She swallowed before continuing. "I still can't believe you're going to his place. Like, essentially to hang out." 

"It's just to work on this project thing, nothing exciting." 

"Yeah, but you never know!!"

"If anything out of the ordinary happens, you'll be the first to know." I promised. 

"When were you planning on going, anyway?" 

"Oh, gosh! Ten, I'm meant to be there. I haven't even had a shower yet!" 

It was already past half past eight, so I quickly finished my breakfast and hurried upstairs to shower and dress. Once I was almost ready, I considered Gianna's opinion that I should try to impress him a bit. Surely a bit of makeup couldn't hurt, I thought to myself. I rummaged through my box of toiletries at the bottom of my wardrobe and pulled out a BB cream, mascara and a pastel pink blush. I heard my phone beep twice, signalling that it was running very low on battery. Dropping the mascara on my desk, I got on my hands and knees to search around the bed for my missing phone. Somehow, it had fallen right down the back, between the bed frame and the wall. And it was out of battery. Asra was expecting me, so I'd just have to turn up on the basis of that assumption. Gianna sorted out the ride for me, and in no time at all, I was on my way over to his house.


	8. Chapter 8

I let myself through the side gate of Asra's driveway. The house still seemed sleepy and still, but it was so big that people could be anywhere and there would be no obvious signs of life. I walked up to the big front door, and rang the bell, stepping back onto the porch to wait. After a couple of minutes of awkwardly shifting my weight from one foot to another, I put out my hand to ring the bell again, but just as my finger hovered above the button, the door swung open. 

Asra stood there, barefoot and wearing loose fitting red plaid pyjama bottoms and a soft looking navy t-shirt with a deep V neck. He held a steaming mug that smelled strongly of tea with some sort of smoky scent blended through. His hair was ruffled and messy, seeming fluffier than usual, and he ran a hand through it self-consciously. A rosy pink blush spread across his features as he stood looking at me in surprise. 

"Elit, hi! I, uh, didn't realise you were on your way so soon." 

"I'm sorry, I-my phone, uh, ran out of battery. So I couldn't text you. I thought...I thought it'd be okay." 

We both looked at the ground, each as embarrassed to be in this situation as the other. 

"Right, that's okay. Uh, do come in!" 

He opened the door wider and I slipped past him, catching another whiff of his tea, and a touch of a sweet but peppery cologne. After closing the door, he stepped in front of me, leading me upstairs. 

"If you don't mind, I'll show you to my room. I have a big desk that we can use." 

"Sure, that's fine." 

I followed him up, and along the landing. All the doors to the rooms were in the same style as the front door - a dark, rust coloured stain and a glossy varnish, and brass handles. He swung open one of them, and gestured for me to go inside, shutting it again behind us. 

The room was massive, as I expected. A king size, mahogany sleigh bed dominated one corner, by a large bay window with a cushioned seat. The rest of the furniture was a matching, lustrous mahogany, and the rest of the room was decorated with lighter beige tones to lift the look. Whoever had done this room had know what they were doing. I looked up to see a small chandelier with gleaming crystals was the light source. I was also amused to spy some of those plastic glow in the dark stars covering the entire ceiling. I smiled and looked at him. 

"I like your stars." 

"My wha-oh. Those. It's kind of embarrassing, I know, but I actually really like them." 

Suddenly, he was drawing the thick, heavy-looking curtains and making sure all the lights were out. 

"Okay, look up!" 

I was amazed. There were more than I had initially spotted, tiny ones speckled the ceiling in between bigger, more noticeable stars. 

"They form proper constellations, see?" He said, pointing. "That one is my favourite, Eridanus. It's meant to represent a river, I think." 

He went on to point out several other constellations, and I couldn't help but stare at his face as he talked about them all. His expression had become completely animated, his entire face lit up, and I realised how much he loved the stars. Just as suddenly as he had started, he cleared his throat and opened the curtains. 

"Anyway. Enough rambling. Did you manage those equations?" 

"You know, you're a pretty hopeless project partner," I sighed. "But yes, I did." 

He either ignored, or didn't hear my initial comment, and went and sat in the window seat. The combination of his slim build and his unusual way of sitting in seats made him look a gangly mess of limbs. 

"So the first question was about the collapsing white dwarf, right?" 

I looked up, surprised he had remembered. 

"And that'll be to do with the accretion of matter leading up to the Chandrasekhar limiting mass. I think the start of Chapter 19 of Zeilik explains it better, did you read it?" 

Nodding slowly, I took him in, looking at him as a whole. Perhaps he wasn't just bluffing when he was kind, he really seemed like a genuine guy. Ridiculously clever as well, by the sound of it as he went on talking about the resulting supernova explosion from the white dwarf's collapse. And there could be absolutely no denying that he was good looking. I felt my heart skip and my stomach twist a little as I thought about him. Crushes had always been the problems of other people, things they told me about. Not something I experienced myself. 

"Elit, are you okay? You look super tired, would you like a cup of tea? Coffee?" 

"What was in your cup? It smelled incredible."

"Lapsang souchong, it's a type of smoked black tea. I can't get enough of the stuff, would you like to try it?" 

I said that I would, and he told me to wait there while he went down to sort that out for me. After a moment, though, I followed him downstairs to the kitchen. He hadn't heard me come down, and was leaning against the marble countertop, running his long fingers through his hair. His cheeks were flushed and he was chewing lightly on his bottom lip. 

"You, uh...really like space then, huh?" I said, realising as I spoke how lame I sounded. 

He looked up, startled to find me standing a few yards away. Laughing a little, he nodded. 

"Guilty," He chuckled. "My Dad was always into aviation and stuff, and as I kid I guess I took that one step further. I was always dreaming of the stars, of being...out there. I loved going on planes at night because it made me feel that much closer to actually being amongst the stars." 

I couldn't believe how quickly I felt myself falling, no, tumbling, head over heels for this boy who, until earlier this morning, I had thought was a lazy, arrogant private school kid. Without even trying, he was proving himself to be the polar opposite. Passionate, kind, quiet, he was everything I could ever dream of in one, painfully handsome package. 

He poured the tea and handed me a delicate cup. It smelled comforting and cosy, like sitting around a campfire in the open air. 

"If you like it, there's plenty more!" He smiled. 

I blew on it and took a sip. It was still hot, but the rich, sweet taste was strong in my mouth, the aftertaste as smoky as it had smelled. 

"It's amazing!" 

"Are you a tea person?" He laughed.

"I am now." 

Our chuckles died down and we stood looking at each other for a moment. His stare painted a hot flush over my cheeks, and I looked away. I clasped my hands awkwardly, rubbing them over each other a little before stuffing both in my pockets. 

"Should we, uh, go back upstairs?" I asked.

A smirk crossed his face for a split second.

"That's an excellent idea." 

I blushed harder and stepped back, waiting for him to go first. 

"Sorry, I uh, didn't mean that like...that. But yeah, we should probably carry on with this assignment, huh?" Asra's cheeks were tinged pink too by now.


End file.
